Public golf courses are a great way to get started in golf. They offer a low-cost way to pick up the sport without the cost and pressure of private clubs. Public golf courses are generally easier to play and can be a great training area for hobby golfers and professionals alike. They can be busy on weekends, so weekdays are best.

There are some real bargain public courses here in Boston. For example, the Ponkapoag Golf Course in Canton has been recently refurbished and is a wonderful scenic course that is also inexpensive. Even better, if you happen to be a senior, $17 gets you on the greens during the weekdays.




Braintree Municipal Golf Course
The Braintree Municipal Golf Course is a public course owned by the town of Braintree. It offers great golfing at some of the lowest and most competitive rates on the South Shore. The course has a lot of water features, somewhat small fairways and mostly large greens in good condition.
Features: Proshop, Lessons, Driving Range
Price: $19-$42 Mon-Thu, $19-$52 Fri-Sun
Address: 101 Jefferson St, Braintree
Massachusetts, 02184
781-843-6513
Fresh Pond Golf Course
Fresh Pond is a 9 hole, public golf course designed by Donald Ross. Located at the Fresh Pond Reservation in Cambridge, it is just minutes away from Boston. The course challenges players of all abilities with well defined hazards, some water and gentle greens. There are Ladies Leagues on Monday and Thursday evenings.
Features: Proshop, Lessons, Tournaments, Season Passes, Rentals
Price: $35.- 18 Holes walking Mon-Fri, $40.- 18 Holes walking Sat-Sun
Address: 691 Huron Ave
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138
(617) 349-6282
Gannon Municipal Golf Course
Gannon Municipal Golf Course is an 18-Hole Championship golf course located in the Lynn Woods Reservation. Designed by Donald Ross disciple Wayne Stiles it offers golfers a challenging yet fair layout. Golfers also appreciate the great views of the city and the good condition of the course. The classic Tudor-style designed clubhouse is open to the public and has a function room to accommodate large events such as birthdays, retirement parties and weddings.
Features: Proshop, Lessons, Rentals, League, Tournaments, Functions
Price: $39.- 18 Hole Walking Mon-Fri, $47.- 18 Hole walking Sat-Sun
Address: 60 Great Woods Rd
Lynn, Massachusetts, 01904
(781) 592-8238
George Wright Golf Course
George Wright Golf Course is a municipal 18 hole golf course owned by the city of Boston. It was designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1938. The course features spectacular views and rugged terrain and includes significant hills. The fairways are pretty narrow with many mature trees which makes the course very challenging.
Features: Proshop, Lessons, Tournaments, Season Passes, Rentals
Price: $39.- 18 Holes walking Mon-Thu, $45.- 18 Holes, Walking Fri-Sun
Address: 420 W St, Hyde Park
Massachusetts, 02136
617-361-8313
Mount Hood Golf Course
Mount Hood is an 18 hole golf club located in Melrose, MA. Built in the thirties and upgraded to modern conditions, Mount Hood offers challenge and variety unique in the Boston area. The course is situated in a wooded and hilly 300 acre park that once served as a local ski area. Generous fairways, smallish greens and natural topography make Mount Hood a unique and challenging course reminiscent from the classic era of golf. Although playable for golfers of all abilities, many tees are on higher elevation with commanding views of the Boston area and beyond
Features: Proshop, Lessons, Practice Green, Rentals,
Price: $45.- 18 Holes Mon-Fri, $53.- 18 Holes Sat-Sun
Address: 60 Slayton Rd
Melrose, Massachusetts, 02176
(781)665-8139
Newton Commonwealth Course
Newton Commonwealth Golf Course is an 18 hole public course located just minutes from downtown Boston. The clubs was founded in 1997 and was redesigned in 1920 by the renowned architect, Donald Ross. It is a beautiful course and well groomed and offers a short, but challenging round of golf featuring quick greens and relatively narrow fairways.. The Newton Commonwealth Golf Course is open to the public seven days a week and is available for outings to accommodate company groups, clubs and family gatherings.
Features: Proshop, Lessons, Grill, Functions
Price: $32,- 18 Holes Mon-Thu, $39.- 18 Holes Fri-Sun
Address: 212 Kenrick St
Newton, Massachusetts, 02458
(617) 630-1971
Olde Scotland Links, Bridgewater
Public 18 hole links-style championship course in Braintree, MA. Offers great views and challenging play for every skill level. Well-groomed fairways and greens keep Olde Scotland Links difficult.
Features: Proshop, Lessons, Tournaments, Driving Range, Season Passes, Functions
Price: $35.- 18 holes riding, Mon-Thu, $40.- 18 holes riding, Fri-Sun
Address: 690 Pine St, Bridgewater
Massachusetts, 02324
(508)279-3344
Presidents Golf Course
Presidents Golf Course is a Public 18 hole golf course located in North Quincy, Massachusetts. The course offers dramatic views of the Boston skyline, Neponset River, and the Blue Hills Reservation. Presidents Golf Course first opened for play in 1885 and is onsidered one of the first 100 Clubs in America. The course has been modified a number of times by Wayne Stiles, William F. Mitchell, and George and Tom Fazio. It is built on hilly terrain, but has wide-open fairways. Reading the greens is an important factor to scoring well on this course. There are water hazards on two holes.
Features: Proshop, Lessons, Rentals, Tounaments, Restaurant, Functions
Price: $39.- Walking Mon-Thu, $48,- Walking Fri-Sun
Address: 357 W Squantum St
North Quincy, Massachusetts, 02171
(617)328-3444
Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course
This course is a public golf course located in Brookline, MA. It is right next door to its famous cousin “The Country Club” and it is in fact possible to catch glimpses of one of the oldest and most exclusive country clubs in the US.
However, this club can rest on its own venerable traditions as it was designed and built by Stiles and Van Kleek as the Putterham Meadows in 1933. Its clubhouse is almost original and many additions an improvements have been made to the course over the years.
Features:
Price: $32.- Walking Mon-Thu, $43.- Walking Fri-Sun
Address: 1281 W Roxbury Pkwy, Brookline
Massachusetts, 02467
(617)730-2078
William J. Devine Golf Course at Franklin Park
William J. Devine Golf Course at Franklin Park is owned by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department wit the goal to provide an affordable, enjoyable recreational experience for golfers of all skill levels. The course was established in 1896 and is the second oldest public golf course in the nation. The course is unique in other ways being embedded in parkland dating from 1896. Famous golf course designer Donald Ross re-designed the layout.
Features: Proshop, Lessons, Tournaments, Season Passes, Rentals
Price: $39.- 18 Holes walking Mon-Thu, $45.- 18 Holes, Walking Fri-Sun
Address: 1 Circuit Dr
Dorchester, Massachusetts 02121>br>(617) 265-4084
Ponkapoag Golf Course
Ponkapoag Golf Course is a 36-hole public facility incorporating two 18-hole courses. It has all the facilities such as Driving Range, Proshop, Putting Green and a snack bar. The golf course is over 80 years old and was once considered one of the premier courses in the country. After years of neglect it has been extensively restored by the DCR with the help of course architect Brian Silva. The course is very beautiful with amazing nature views and green fees are very reasonable with rates for Seniors as low $17.- on weekdays.
Features: Proshop, Driving Range, Putting Green, Instructions, Snack Bar, Electric Carts, Senior Discounts
Price: $27.- Weekdays Walking, $30.- Weekends
Address: 2167 Washington Street